1,047 comments:

I have just been meditating for about two months usually 20 minutes daily. Where I have improved my ability to maintain a mental quiet for minutes at a time I invariably hit a place at about ten minutes where my mind gets lazy, and just meanders around with random thoughts. I haven't been able to stop this, and although I try hard to re-focus, I am unable to break this ten minute boundary. Any suggestions?

For many meditators, after two months of practice the meandering still begins fairly early in their sessions, (which is ok) but relatively speaking, you are doing quite well.

Here are a couple of suggestions...1. Continue through the second 10 minutes making a "relaxed effort" to focus -- but accept that it is all right for your mind to wander a bit and you will still be getting the benefits of meditation. Doing this is preferrable to intensifying your efforts, which will not really help much.

Your ability to stay focussed for longer periods will continue to increase over time, similar to the way a muscle continues to develop as you use it. Your progress though, may be more gradual than with the initial two months.

2. You can simply discontinue your sessions at about 10 minutes, and you will still see positive changes occurring in your life as a result of your daily meditation.

Hi, I just came across your site and wanted some advice. I am fairly young and have been meditating fairly often for the past few years. I also tend to use softer core drugs recreationally and as a way to expand my consciousness and get past the boundaries of certain patterns left on my mind from everyday living. The problem is that I have started using a dissociative for the past couple of months that has greatly improved what people would call spiritual progress, but I am having trouble being able to afford it and find it hard to explain to anyone (mainly my parents) that a drug is beneficial to helping them achieve the answers they are looking for. I do not believe I am addicted to it, well at least not physically, but psychologically I think I find it very important to my meditation. The reason being is that with the drug I am able to achieve much higher states of being in a very short amount of time (usually only meditating for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours rather than 4-5 hours), and my focus is lengthened extremely. Whereas normally I can only experience what is the "universal Self" for a few seconds before my thoughts realize what is happening, with the drug i am able to stay in that state of liberation and understanding for much longer. I really haven't explained to anyone about my spiritual views and practices, but I am finding it harder to funcion in everyday activities and goals that people want me to pursue when I see them as impermanent and I guess for lack of a better term, illusory. The tension between the two paths of life is increasing, and I have no doubt in my mind that I want to pursue the spiritual one. The problem is that I'm pretty sure I've experienced what people call the ultimate good or the one state, yet I have not found any permanence. The direct experience with light and revelation only last as long as I am in a deep state of meditation and not moving. I guess what I wanted to know is if perhaps you are or have met anyone that was able to integrate their meditative experience with living, and ultimately enter a permanent state of...I don't know what to call it; absorption, wonder, bliss, one-mindedness, gnosis?

That permanent state of higher consciousness you are inquiring about has, for ages, been the goal of the spiritual journey. It has been called many things: enlightenment, self realization, nirvana, cosmic consciousness, ascension, etc. Many individuals have reached that state of bliss-grounded-in-the-body, and I have had the privilege of meeting and learning from quite a few of them. These individuals have served as exemplars of what we all can attain through our spiritual practice.

Integrating the highest states of consciousness into our day to day physical reality is generally a gradual process, although at this time the process has been quickened -- accelerated by unseen evolutionary forces.

How are these states of wonder and exultation integrated into our lives? In previous ages, spiritual aspirants would renounce the world and sit at the feet of a guru, or check into a monastery or mystery school, where they were given practices specifically designed for both raising their consciousness and anchoring their spiritual experience into physical reality. Many of the latter involved mastering the elements of their being -- emotions, mind, energy and body, culminating in various initiations which established them in the higher states.

The path of renunciation is still an option. But nowadays, for most of us, this process of "grounding the light" is accomplished primarily through our involvement in the everyday activities of our lives, i.e. fulfilling our various responsibilities -- expressing kindness and compassion in our daily interactions -- making use of our unique talents in whatever role we are playing in life, etc. Maybe not as exotic as the path of the renunciate, but accessible to all.

In addition to normal day to day activity, incorporating exercises -- such as hatha yoga, tai chi, qigong, hiking or working out -- serves to tone our nervous systems and energy systems so we can effectively conduct the powerful energies intrinsic to the awakened state.

So yes, integrating the higher states into our physical reality is not only possible, but - for many of us - part of our chosen purpose here. If the choice was to simply effervesce in ecstasy, we could have just as easily remained in the higher dimensions. But the material world gives us the unique opportunity to experience the bliss of our spiritual nature and the delight of our physical nature simultaneously.

Hello Jim,Pleasure to come across your wonderful website. I have made a small post about your site in my blog. Your question and answers on the website are pretty comprehensive and your answers go to the point, reflecting your wisdom and experience in meditation.Kudos to you and your wonderful service to the world through your presence and activities.

I have been meditating for a year.. My meditations began at 10 minutes of breath meditation a day to now 45 minutes of mindfulness meditation a day. I had involuntary body movements in the beginning, where my upper torso would rotate, sometimes with quite an intensity. I figured that it had to do with clearing of energies in my body.Recently my meditations are becoming deeper and I simply love it! I would like to go deeper still and experience deeper peace.Do you have suggestion? Also, I am curious about your meditation routine and also your state of mind (joyful, peaceful, etc) during meditation.

Thanks for your post and your good feedback. I enjoyed the material on your "seeker's blog" as well.

Yes, the body movements you were experiencing would have been the result of an energy clearing, as well as your body's way of facilitating an increased flow of spiritual energy.

For deepening your meditations, I suggest you try the Universal Mantra Meditation. You can find it here: http://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mantra.html

Regardless of how familiar this particular mantra has become, it is actually a very powerful mantra - and meditation - in regard to it's ability to create a spontaneous shift into a deep transcendent state. Naturally the degree of depth will vary from session to session, so I suggest you give it a week or two. Also, it may be best to practice this method for only about 20 minutes, and then switch to your Mindfulness practice if you wish to meditate longer.

The points suggested as an adjunct to the step by step instructions are very important for gaining the optimum results from this method, so I'll repeat them here verbatim:

• One of the keys to this meditation is repeating the mantra gently or faintly in your mind.

• The power of this technique comes from letting go and allowing your attention to dive into the deeper realms of the mind. Therefore, even though you will be focussing on the mantra, staying focussed on the mantra is not the aim of this meditation. Trying too hard to stay focussed would keep your attention from descending into the deeper levels of thought. Instead, you will be repeating the mantra with minimal effort, and giving your mind the space to drift a bit.

• I suggest that you resist the temptation to make something happen, and allow the mantra to do the work.

• There is no need to synchronize the mantra with your breathing, but if this occurs naturally, it's ok. (I personally find it more effective without my breathing being involved.)

I hope you find it enjoyable, and helpful for deepening your practice.

Regarding my personal routine and experiences -- I meditate for about half an hour every morning, and for 15 to 20 minutes each afternoon. I try to keep it within that general framework, but when I'm teaching, or on certain other occasions, my daily meditation time increases somewhat.

My meditation experiences range from mildly blissful to very blissful -- from fairly peaceful to deeply peaceful. I enjoy all my meditations, but one of the most enjoyable experiences for me is when the light spontaneously fills my brain and higher centers, and then spills over to the rest of my being. And for the sake of honesty, occasionally my sessions are simply "ordinary," which is ok, because I've learned that regardless of the "apparent" experience, something profound is virtually always occurring during meditation.

Fortunately you do not have to be good at concentrating or staying focussed to get good results from meditation. If you simply make a "relaxed effort" to focus on whatever your object of focus is - breath, mantra, etc. - you will get results.

No matter how many times you have to do it, just keep coming back to your object of focus whenever you discover that your attention has drifted off, and accept that this is ok.

In time you will get better at staying focussed, but at the beginning it is perfectly normal for the attention to wander a lot. The key to getting results from meditation is simply "showing up" - i.e. doing it regularly.

Recently i have come really interested in meditation and do it most of the time, to get rid of sadness and stress. The problem is that after i have meditated, i start feeling sad and stressed again and it just won't go away. Most of my mind is occupied by death and the fact that I'm going to die soon, and how i wont be able to achieve anything in life because of this. I dont know why i think abput this sort of stuff, but i'm just wondering if there is a good meditation technique to help.

If you have just recently started meditating, it will quite likely take some time for these old grooved in habits of thinking to be transformed. If you are meditating for a little time each day that's good. The particular method is not as important as doing it regularly.

However, there is a technique that will help. It is not a sitting meditation, but something you can do while you are going about your day to re-direct your thoughts away from the negativity. It is a form of what is called Japa Yoga, and involves repeating a mantra when your mind is not fully engaged in another task. The mantra is generally repeated mentally, but can be done aloud if you find that it helps you to remember and stay focussed.

There are many possible mantras that you can use for this. Here are just a few: "Om" "Om Shanti" (peace) "So Hum" or "I am That" (identifying yourself as a part of Universal Consciousness)"Rama" (a divine name which is helpful for dispelling negative energy)

You can also use a positive affirmation, such as "I am filled with the light of peace" -- or joy, etc., if you find it to be effective.

I suggest you explore a few of these possibilities and see what works best for you. You can find more details on this technique, in this article: "Staying Connected" http://www.meditationcenter.com/lecture/index.html

If you continue with about 15 to 20 minutes of daily meditation, and remember to keep shifting your attention back to your mantra when the negative thoughts return, you will begin to notice a positive difference in your state of mind.

One part of your question was not clear - whether your pre-occupation with death is a product of your mind, or is based on a fatal illness that you have been diagnosed with. If the latter is the case, I believe you will still find this technique beneficial.

There are many ways to meditate. If you find that this approach fulfills the purpose for which you are meditating - i.e. helps you feel happier, or more relaxed, or less stressed, etc., then it's fine to meditate that way.

However, if you would like to explore some of the more traditional methods, I suggest you try the various "core meditations" offered at the Online Meditation Center:MIndfulness Meditationhttp://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mind.htmlInner Light Meditationhttp://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/inlight.htmlUniversal Mantra Meditationhttp://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mantra.html

There are a couple of possibilities, mostly depending on the feeling behind the tears.

If there was a joyful feeling, it indicates that your meditation suddenly opened your heart chakra, and the tears were an expression of the love and joy that resides deep in your heart.

If there was sadness connected with the tears - or no specific emotion - it would indicate that your meditation triggered the release and clearing of some deeply stored "stress" or "physical/emotional toxins," and the tears were an expression of this valuable cleansing.

Either way, it was a very positive experience, and if this happens to occur again, I suggest you just let the tears flow.

Thank you. I believe if so, it would be the second, I have just recently ended a demeaning, degrading, mentaly abusive marriage. However, I can not seem to meditate at home well enough to reach the " happy place " and the instructor does an incredible job getting me to be where I need to be in mediation but I really dont want to cry in class with many other people there. Its a gym after all and they might look at me weird. What are the chances it happening again?

Unfortunately, I can't give you specific odds on whether or not this will happen again. What I can say with certainty, is that the pain from what you have been through needs to be healed somehow. Meditation will help your healing process by bringing the emotional toxins to the surface and be cleansed.

Does this always express itself in tears? No -- there may often be no outward signs of this cleansing process, but you never know. So if you are concerned about shedding tears in public, I suggest you take a bit of time to heal the pain in a more private setting. This process can take place effectively through meditation, whether or not you reach your "happy place." There are other means available for this as well, such as journaling, talking about it with a trusted friend, etc.

hello. I started with my first meditation today, my husband read some lines who helped med get in to it. i relaxed and was "sucked" down into something and saw som flickering lights. At that time my husband interrupted the season with more lines, and i "fell" out. i was in a brown room, and tried to ask about whether i shuould continue with a trial i have started. i didnt get any answer, but was very warm. i asked if this means to drop out or stay in, but was more warm. After that i asked about my daughters troubles, but the only thing i saw was a mountain. do u know what this is or have i missed? i was using the lines from sylvia browne book temples on the other side.

Guidance in meditation can come in various ways -- words, feelings, images, or just a quiet knowing. If answers are coming to you in images, the symbolism may be universal, or may have a personal meaning that only you might understand.

For example, in a universal sense, a mountain may mean your daughter needs someone strong and stable in her life to help her through this -- or it could symbolize the need for her to have or develop strength and perseverance to reach the mountain top, i.e. to get through these challenges. But it might mean something different to you. I suggest you ask yourself: "What does this mean?" -- then trust your intuition to recognize the answer.

Similarly, feeling heat may be posing the question: are you ready to deal with the "heat" of a trial? Or it may mean something completely different -- more personal to you. Again, I suggest you ask yourself, and be open to what "rings true" for you.

I am meditating on a regular basis. I am using mantra meditation, in which I try to follow the instructions written in The "universal mantra meditation" section on this webside. The only difference is that I am using a different phrase( not "aum"). I have one question regarding this exercise.I begin repeating the mantra silently and gently in my mind. After a while, this developes into an automatic process (the mantra repeats itself). At this stage, the mantra becomes so blurry that I can not even recognize the phrase which I repeat. Should I let this happen and allow the mantra to repeat itself? Or Should I try to take a more active role, and repeat the mantra consciously( still with little effort) and do not let the whole thing develope into an automatic process?Thank you for the advices.

Hi my name is John and I started meditating about 3 or 4 years ago. There have been lots of little effects from my meditations but there are 2 instances that stand out. After about 1 year I was meditating one night in my room and afterward I noticed I felt a since of joy or bliss, my level of concentration would allow me to fix on something I was looking at without any thoughts arising in my mind, and everything was beautiful I was filled with love and joy, it was overwhelming. This time it lasted about 6 hours until I fell asleep. The next time I experienced this it was much more profound and I began to notice physical changes my sense of touch was way more sensitive, things tasted better, I have good eyesite but it was more crisp and clear and it lasted about a week and I was able to slip back into it if I had lost concentration I would just recenter and the feeling would continue. All of a sudden one day I woke up and the effects were over.

I am practicisng mantra meditation. During the exercise, I begin repeating the phrase gently and silently in my mind. However, after a while, the phrase becomes very faint, and I can no longer preceive it clearly in my mind. It feels as if I didn't know what I am repeating.

Should I let this happen and continue the exercise like this or shoud I try to focus more on the mantra and remain being aware of it during the exercise? Thank you for answerng my question.

I have been practicing mantra meditation for 5 or 6 months.During the exercise, I usualy reach a light meditative state(feeling a certain amount of energy and mental emptiness) and stay in it throughout the meditation. No matter how long I repeat the mantra gently in my mind, I am unable to deepen this light meditative state.

Is it possible that repeating the mantra prevents me from going deeper? Or could it be that with more practice I will be able to get into a deeper mediative state?Thank you for answering.

If you are repeating the mantra gently in your mind, and making no more than a "relaxed effort" to stay focussed on it, then it is probably not interfering with the deepening of your meditation.

With continued practice, you will begin to experience some of the deeper states. But for now, I suggest you trust that there is an intelligent process at work, and that you are getting what is needed at this time from each meditation session.

With that said, one thing you can do - if you are comfortable doing so - is to communicate your choice to go deeper to the Universal Consciousness. Beyond that, however, it would be best to continue what you've been doing, allow the mantra to do the work, and accept whatever happens.

I am practicing mantra meditation. While repeating the mantra, my attention often drifts away, either because I begin thinking about sg or I get into a "bordering-sleep" state. This only lasts for a few seconds. However, I am not focusing on the mantra during this few seconds, the mantra still continues repeating itself automatically. Therefore, I am able to bring my attention back to the mantra and I don't have to restart repeating it.

I have 2 questions regarding this: 1, Is it allright not to restart repeating the mantra and only bring the attention back to it?

2, Is it normal to think about the mantra(silently saying it in the mind) and having other thoughts at the same time? Thank you for the usefull advices.

I am practicing mantra meditation. During the meditation, I do not swallow automaticly. Therefore, I get an urge to swallow in every 4-5 mins. When this urge becomes uncomfortable, I swallow 1consciously.

Is it possible that this "conscious" swallowing prevents me from getting into a deeper meditative state?

Should I try to oppose the urge and not to swallow at all or should I swallow consciously when I feel this urge?Thank you for answering.

I am practicing mantra meditation. However, the phrase or word, which I am repeating silently in my mind, is not a traditional "mantra" phrase like "ohm" for instance. In fact its is a word which I choose because I can comfortably repeat it in my mind.

Is any phrase or word suitable for mantra meditation or should I choose a traditional one?Thank you for answering my questions.

There is no absolute answer for this. It depends somewhat on what benefits or experiences you are attempting to gain from your meditation practice. If you are getting what you are seeking from using the mantra you've chosen - for example, relaxation or stress reduction or inner peace - then there is no reason to change.

However, traditional mantras do tend to provide more profound experiences (albeit not all the time). So if you are looking to experience higher or deeper states of consciousness, and your current mantra is not providing it, you might want to give one of these ancient mantras a try.

My intention is to reach a reasonably deep meditative state. Is it possible that, with enough practice, I will be able to reach this state even if I am using "non-traditional" mantra, which is just a simlpe 3 syllable long word(does not have any specific religious or spiritual meaning)?

Hi I am practicing the "mindfullness meditation" and I am looking for some advice. I've read on this bewside that when doing this exercise you have to calmly observe the breath as it enters and leaves from your body. I have tried to follow the course of the breath: as it enters the nose, lungs and the belly. However, I find it dificult to sense and observe this whole process because, after getting into a light meditative state, I can no longer observe the course of the breath because I am no longer sense or detect anything from the process. The only part where I can sense the flow of breath is where it enters and leaves my nosetrils.

Is it enough, if I observe the flow of breath, while holding my attention on my nosetrils only?

There is not just one right way to observe your breathing. I suggest you simply do what feels most natural. If noticing the breath as it enters and leaves your nostrils is easy and natural for you, then stay with that.

Although some teachers advise paying attention to the details you described - the breath entering and leaving the nose, lungs and belly - I have not found this to be necessary. If you've interpreted the suggestion on our guided mindfulness video to "be mindful of the breath coming in, filling you, and going out" in this way, I'm sorry -- that was not my intent. The intent was to be aware of the breath coming in and going out in a more generalized way.

This summer i decided to try something new and meditate. I've been trying to, but I just can't seem to clear my mind. Other sites have told me to try counting my breaths or trying to feel myself breathe but my thoughts are still racing. Any experience with this?

If you approach meditation with the idea that you are suppose to clear your mind, you are almost certain to end up frustrated. There are different ways of dealing with thoughts in meditation -- and different ways of getting to the experience of inner quietness.

For example, when practicing "Mindfulness Meditation," you still focus on your breathing, but instead of trying to clear your mind of thoughts, you give them the space to simply be there while directing your attention elsewhere.

By doing this, the thoughts sometimes do subside on their own. But even when they do not, you begin to discover an inner quietness that "underlies" the thoughts -- or you might describe it as existing "behind the thoughts." With practice, the experience of this inner quietness - and the calm state that accompanies it - deepens, and you get to where it really doesn't matter if there are thoughts or not.

Another approach is to practice a mantra meditation. If you closely follow the steps of the "Universal Mantra Meditation" described on this page,http://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mantra.htmlwhat will begin to happen fairly frequently - although not all the time - is that your mind will spontaneously shift into a deep state of inner silence in which you have transcended the thoughts.

For more info on dealing with thoughts in meditation, I suggest you read the "8 important meditation points" on this page:http://www.meditationcenter.com/info/8points.html

I have started meditation 3 months back.did for 1 month and due to circumstances left it in 1 month.Again i started now(3 days back).20 min a day(max).Since i havn't attended any classes,i'm just concentrating on my guru's photo in my mind.My mind is wavering once i start and gets setted to my guru only after 10 min after i start.Thus my focus lies only for 10 min.Is my way of meditating OK? I want to comlpletely focus on my guru...Please suggest me some ideas.Can i increase my duration?Thanks in advance.

Yes, the way you are meditating is fine. Here is a suggestion for reducing the time it takes you to get focussed on the front end of your meditations...

When you begin your session - before you begin focussing on your guru's photo - I suggest you allow your eyes to look down, in a comfortable downward gaze. You can either focus on a spot directly in front of you and down, or you can let your eyes go out of focus.

This will help you to shift into a meditative mode more quickly. Then when you have become calm and your mind has settled down a bit - which is likely to take only a minute or two - redirect your focus to the picture your guru and begin your normal meditation.

Once you have begun, make a "relaxed effort" to stay focussed. If your mind begins to wander at some point, simply bring it back to your guru, accepting that this is ok. Gradually you will find it easier to stay focussed for longer periods, but there is no need to push it.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that your ability to stay focussed is likely to differ from day to day, and this is also ok.

I am doing mantra meditation. In the exercise , I repeat the mantra silently in my mind. I am using a 3 syllables long word as a mantra.However, I have recently read that short 1 syllable long mantras( like "ohm") are more likely to produce a deeper meditative state.

Is this true?

Can a 3 syllables long mantra, which can be easily repeated, also lead the mind into a deep meditative state? Thanks for answering.

Yes, a three syllable mantra - depending on what it is - can be just as effective as a one syllable mantra for taking you to a deep state of awareness.

However, if you are curious about the difference, you might try each for about a week and see how each one effects you personally. I suggest at least a week, because meditation experiences tend to change anyway from day to day depending on many factors, so just a few days probably would not give you a clear indication of the differences.

I have been meditating for about 15 to 20 mins everyday. Initially it was difficult to concentrate and unwanted thoughts used to come but now slowly I started ignoring it and started feeling inner peace. Sometimes I even see a light which is a wonderful experience. Once or twice I even saw something which was like a face of a lion. What does it mean. Sometimes if I am facing family problems I find it difficult to meditate. But I still try to sit quietly and try to calm myself. In my case both my children left home for higher studies and I am missing them a lot . I worry a lot about them. Will meditation help me to give me the strenght to bear them being away from home and will it assure that they will be safe and happy.Sometimes I feel very hurt by other peoples attitude towards me. How can I protect myself from being hurt.

It sounds like you are making good progress with your meditation practice. Images in meditation may be significant or might just be random pictures. Universally, lions represent things such as courage, strength, pride and fiercely protecting one's offspring. However, there may be a significance that is more personal to you which only your intuition can tell you.

Meditation should increase your ability to deal with the absence of your children, at least somewhat. But realistically, meditating cannot bring about an assurance that they will be safe. I suppose prayer would be a better avenue for that.

It can indeed be difficult to be very sensitive to the way others feel about you or act toward you. There is no simple solution, but one thing that meditation will do, is to gradually put you in touch with your True Self -- and when you have that strong sense of self, you are not as effected by externals and do not take things as personally.

I have been meditating on and off for sometime. The technique I use was to focus on what I see when I close my eyes. I now know from your site that this method is inner light meditation. My question relates to that in all my time of meditating I have never seen colors, yet lately I have been seeing the color purple and white. At times, just a screen of one color and at other times it seems as if the two colors are fighting (for lack of a better term) for my attention. Is there any significance to the colors and/or the action of the colors?

"Sometimes" the colors that appear in meditation have a particular significance. Purple is a high vibrational color. It can signify that you are raising your vibration to a higher level through your meditation, or can sometimes indicate the presence of your "spiritual guides." If it is a violet shade of purple, it would tend to indicate that there is a lot of inner transformation taking place.

White represents purity and the transcendent level of reality. If the alternating white and purple colors signify anything, it may be that your attention is shifting back and forth between the two vibrational levels - or levels of reality - represented by these two colors.

hi, i am fairly new to meditation and was wondering if you could advise me on any particular meditations to releive anxiety. i suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and along with any necsisary medications i may need i believe this could be extremely benificial. thank you.

More important than the type of meditation you practice is doing it regularly - once daily if possible. I suggest you begin with just 10 minutes a day, then after a month or so you can increase that to 15 - 20 minutes if you choose.

With that said, here are a couple of meditations that may be effective for you. I suggest you try them both, and then stay with whichever one feels best to you.

Hey - thanks for this site. I've been looking for some resources supportive of just trying and improving meditative practice. You're lovely in measuring teaching and commentary and support

I have never had an easy time of meditation - it could be because I'm manic-depressive, and I get enthusiastic about meditating when I'm really manic, and it's - admittedly, difficult - and completely not interested when I'm not manic.

It's a conundrum, at this moment for me, but a good struggle. And I know when I do apply myself, even a bit, it helps greatly with not just symptoms but with being better with myself and the world.

I'd like to ask more questions about how I can better approach this, but for now - just glad to have come in here.

I'm somewhat new to meditation.Today some strange thing happened while meditating.I did in the a.noon at 3 PM.Had my lunch by 1.30.After i started in 5 min,i felt like sleeping.Im not sure.But i'm concious,in the sense my body is slightly shaking outside and some voice from inside says concentrate.After some time i saw some person/image whom i havnt met in my life before.He was like a sadhu with long hair and beard.His face was very calm.Nowadays while meditating im seeing some light(in colour of fire-slight red).What are all these?Person,light....

It's very common to feel sleepy in the mid-afternoon. Often meditating will recharge one with an energy boost. But if you are very tired, it will most likely make you want to fall asleep. If, on those occasions, you have time for a short nap, it's ok to lay down and sleep for awhile. Your system will get a very deep and beneficial rest from this.

From your description, it sounds like your spiritual guide popped into your meditation to give you a bit of encouragement. I suggest you take it as an indication that you are indeed being guided on your journey.

Sometimes colors in meditation mean something -- sometimes not. Red generally signifies energy, activity and passion, so it may mean that you were tapping into an energizing vibration in your meditation. This would be especially likely if you have a tendency toward tiredness.

I've tried meditation of various forms over the years, but have never found one that works. Guided meditations are the worst. I don't have the ability to visualize things, and having some strange woman rattling on in an overly dramatic voice about what I'm supposed to be seeing and feeling makes me want to shake the "guide" just to make her SHUT UP. So... I never can listen to one for more than a minute or two. The various "unguided" (so to speak) methods all have the same effect on me -- the longer I sit there, the more tense and irritated I become until I find my fists clenching and feel the desire to break something or throw something. Afterward, it takes a long time (as much as an hour) to settle down. Everything I read says that meditation is supposed to be good for you but I can't imagine that getting worked up to that level of stress daily could do me any good. I have enough stress to deal with without putting myself through that ordeal every day.

Have you encountered this reaction in others? Are there people who are (metaphorically speaking) "allergic" to meditation, the way a drug that's beneficial to most people can be dangerous to the rare few who are allergic to it?

It's kind of ironic, but I hear from people all the time who somehow manage to increase their stress level from meditating rather than decreasing it. The cause of this virtually always comes down to their expectations -- expectations about what is "supposed to" happen in meditation -- expecting to do it "right" -- expecting to be able to stay focussed -- expecting it to "work" and becoming frustrated when it doesn't appear to be working.

If you can put all of the expectations aside when you meditate, forgetting about what's suppose to happen, and simply accept whatever does happen, you will not only begin to find meditation easy and stress-free, but paradoxically, the results you are most likely looking for will begin to occur more frequently.

Are there people who shouldn't meditate or who are adversely effected by it? I would discourage anyone with a severe psychological pathology from meditating - schizophrenia, psychosis, borderline personality disorder, etc.

For anyone else, if they have the patience to sit still for about 10 minutes, and if they follow a few simple - but important - guidelines, meditation shouldn't create problems.

Along with the above-mentioned guideline of putting one's expectations aside, the most important guideline for beginning meditators is to not over-meditate. 10 to 15 minutes should be the maximum for most beginners. Anything longer is likely to trigger the release of too much stored up "stress" or "physical/emotional toxins," which in turn can stir up uncomfortable emotions, most commonly - impatience and irritability.

hello jim. this is my first time on this forum but thanx for putting it up. well anyway i am starting to meditate and i have been at it for 2 weeks now but i dont feel like ive gotten better since from when i first started. this is really discouraging to me i mean i read this forum and diferent others and hear about how people have expirience wonderful things with meditation and i feel i cant reach that. could you tell me how one would know if he is getting "better" at meditation or if im making progess. thanks for ur time and please respond back :)

Your meditation experiences will become more satisfying over time, but please understand that when learning something new, two weeks is not very long.

One of the main things that leads to deeper, more enjoyable experiences is the clearing away of stored up "physical/emotional" toxins. This clearing occurs automatically through repeated meditation... that is to say, it is not dependent upon how "good" one is at meditating. So if you stay with your practice, simply going through the steps of your meditation method every day, the experiences will start to be more fulfilling. Naturally, the length of time it takes for a sufficient amount of this detox to occur differs for everyone.

Now, what does it mean to "get better" at meditating? It may not be what one would expect to hear, but acceptance is the most important aspect of this. That is, learning to not judge your meditation -- putting aside all the ideas of good and bad, right or wrong meditation, and completely accepting whatever is happening in each session

Along with the above-mentioned points, the big paradox about meditation is that the less concerned you are with the results, the better the results tend to be.

thank you jim for this web page and for your help. i am going to take your word and just keep the daily practice as part of my life. the only problem i was really worried about was that when i meditate it most of the time im just having thought after thought and sometimes i have trouble coming back to the breath for certain amounts of time. is this a problem because i dont feel like im getting anything done when this happens.

I understand how it would seem that nothing beneficial is happening when you are experiencing this. But I assure you that even though it may seem like nothing is happening but a constant stream of thoughts, something beneficial is occurring on a deep level each time you sit and go through the steps of your meditation. Many new meditators have this same experience, and still begin to notice positive changes in their lives as a result of daily meditation.

Another thing to be aware of, is that lots of thoughts in meditation are mostly just stress run-off -- stored up negative energy taking the form of thoughts as it is being released. This in itself is very beneficial.

hi jim. i am a new meditator and am passionate about it but it doesnt seem like im going anywhere. when i meditate it just seems like thought after thought and thats it. my main question to you is am i doing any progress and while i be able to reach the no thought stage on the track im going on right now, having thought after thought?

Even when you are experiencing nothing but thoughts, you are still making progress and gaining the benefits of meditation. Granted, the meditation experiences may not feel all that satisfying, but if you stay with it, over time your meditation experiences will become deeper and more enjoyable.

There are many fulfilling experiences that can occur in meditation, but if that state of "no thought" is what you are trying to attain, you will begin to experience it more frequently as you continue your practice.

For experiencing that inner quietness, I suggest you try the Universal Mantra Meditation. It tends to bring this about more quickly and frequently for some meditators. However, because "allowing" that deep state to happen is an important aspect of this method, it is important to follow the instructions very closely. You can find it on this page:http://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mantra.html

Hello Burt...I don't know how you define "normal meditation," but you can experience that no thought zone through virtually any meditation - especially those meditations in which you sit quietly and focus on just one thing. However, the mantra meditation I was referring to simply happens to be especially effective for producing that state.

Your meditation is indeed shifting you into a higher state of consciousness. There are many possible experiences of higher states, and most of them do not have specific names. But if you were to measure your brainwaves while in this dream-like state, they would most likely indicate that you are in what is called a "theta state," with a brainwave frequency of 4 to 7 cycles per second.

Regardless of what you call it, it is a very beneficial state you are experiencing, and generally very enjoyable.

hello jim, let me tell you a little bit about myself which i dint get to before i just rudely asked you a bunch of questions. i suffer from mental illness. i have bi polar and pyschosis, which is rough. ive been taking medication for 3 years now and no change. i have seen councelors, and still not much help. i even hired a spiritualist but i havent talked to her in a while and that wasnt much help. until now i didnt know what to do until i came across a website. it talked about meditation and how it can cure mental ilness. MY GOAL. and it talked about going throw astral projection and how threw that you come out of all physical and mental ilness. MY GOAL. of course i took this news very hapily and felt that there may be hope for me to help deal with this illness i face, and maybe even come out of it. MY GOAL. so anywas jim i look forward to hearing back from you and hearing good news. oh and also i was curious, what do you know about o.b.e. (out of body expirience) and how much expirience is required to reach that state. anyway thx.

Hello Burt...I'm going to assume you want an honest response here and not just a feel-good answer... Meditation may be helpful for your condition, but I suggest you approach it with caution -- most importantly, keep your meditation time no more than 15 minutes a day. Any more than that may actually aggravate your symptoms. If you notice this occurring, I suggest you discontinue your meditations for awhile.

Also, in light of your situation, I believe that Mindfulness Meditation, or a similar breath-based method would be most helpful for you. You can find the steps and a video of this method here:http://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mind.html

Can meditation by itself cure these disorders? Probably not. But used wisely and in moderation, I believe it can serve as an effective adjunct to an overall healing program.

As for out-of-body experiences, that is not my field of expertise. However, I would approach their claim of curing mental illness with caution and a healthy skepticism.

Please understand that my aim here is not to poke a hole in your hope. People have overcome such disorders through the use of various healing regimens, and I believe you can too if you are determined to do so. Carl Jung - after a lifetime of remarkable work in this field - concluded that one of the most valuable means of healing mental illness is to establish a positive professional relationship with a caring, competent and stable therapist. Perhaps you can find someone like that where you live.

thx for your response. i must say it did discourage me a bit but im still going to watch that video on mindful meditation you sent me. and yes i do have to admit, due to my desperation i have been doing long minutes on my meditation on account of i normal try to do an hour every day which ive been doing for 2 weeks now and i dont really like it because that is a loong time. but thx for telling me the truth and im am going to follow your directions and your video as well as i can. burt

It somewhat depends on what you are trying to let go of. However, two important factors are "intent"... having the intention to let go -- and "trust"... trusting that it is safe to let go - that your world will not fall apart - that you will not fall into the abyss - or if it is a situation or person, that it will all work out ok if you let go.

Actually, most things tend to work out better than one had hoped for once a true act of letting go occurs.

Now, if you are speaking of letting go of your thoughts in meditation, it helps to understand that your mind is a spacious energy field - existing beyond your brain - and thoughts are just a stream of energy and ideas flowing through that energy field. Then if you gently relax your mind - or very slightly expand it - a letting go occurs and your thoughts can flow freely through your awareness.

If it is a situation or person you are asking about letting go of, it's easier to let go if you can "hand it over" to a higher intelligence - providing you believe there is one - and to trust that higher intelligence to orchestrate the best outcome.

If you do not believe there is a higher intelligence, or at least that there is some sort of logical order to the universe, then letting go of situations you are attached to requires a bit more courage or a leap of faith. Take in a deep breath... let it out, and let it go. Best of luck.

jim i have been meditating for sometime now i like it alot, however, i have been having some troubles with my eyes fluttering, sometimes rapidly, which makes it harder to keep my eyes closed and meditate. do you know what could be wrong or why this could be hapening?

I have just recently started to meditate, I have many things in my life that are stressful ( as most ppl do ) and I would like to control them...I get really frustrated easily and anxious. I would like to calm myself. I seem angry and most of the time I dont know why. This is the reason I started. When I am in the meditation state I find myself tired...and even after. I would love to just sleep after and sometimes during. Is there anything I can do or am I not doing something right?

You are not doing anything wrong in your meditation. Feeling very tired simply means that 1. you are tired, and 2. that you are allowing yourself to let go and move closer to a state of deep relaxation or sleep.

Chances are, there is some deep exhaustion in your system caused by all the stress and emotional turbulence you spoke of. I suggest you allow yourself to fall asleep in your meditation, as this can be very healing and regenerating. And if you have the time, it would be beneficial to allow yourself to sleep for a little while after your meditation as well.

Much of the stress relief that meditation provides comes from letting go of all the control that is so prevalent in our daily lives. It's safe and ok to let go. In fact, without letting go of being in control - at least to some degree - there can be no significant relaxation.

Hello, I've recently started to meditate (twice a day for 15 minutes) so that I can balance myself and just have some inner peace. When I meditate, I focus on the air touching my nostrils. My problem is that while I meditate, thoughts pop up, now I know this is normal, but I'd just like to know if there is anything I can do to bring my mind back to focus. I try to focus back to the sensation of air hitting my nostrils, but notice that I soon lose focus again.

Yes, it's absolutely normal for new meditators to experience a wandering mind. Over time you will start finding it easier to stay focussed. Although it's good to accept that it's ok and natural for your mind to wander, here is something you can try that you may find helpful...

Instead of focussing on the air touching your nostrils, see how quietly you can breathe on each inhalation... then exhale normally. You don't have to breathe any deeper, but you will probably breathe a bit more slowly. Just breathe in as silently as you can, and pay attention to the calm silence of each in-breath.

hello jimi have been meditating diligently and daily yet i have not felt the rewards. its been 2 months and i have still not reached the no thought state. i have read places where other people reach it in less time in like arouund a month. i am starting to become discouraged. how does it all work because when i meditate its just thought after thought, no order. can you give me any kind words of advice?

If you hold too tightly to the need to attain one specific experience in meditation - such as a state of "no thought" - you are far less likely to attain that or any other satisfying experience.

There are many ways to experience inner peace when meditating -- the state of "no thought" is only one of them. Others include the experience of deep relaxation and inner calm while still having thoughts... and experiencing the silent inner awareness within you which exists behind and beyond your mind and all the thought activity.

I suggest you put aside your expectation of that one state, and open to the many possibilities that can occur when you meditate. If you stay with it, you will begin to experience inner peace and a break from your thoughts in various ways. Over time, this will become more frequent, although the depth of your experience will vary from from day to day. If you keep an open mind, before long you will also begin to notice positive changes occurring in your life outside of meditation.

With that said, I suggest you try the following technique. If you follow the instructions closely, it is very effective in producing states of deep inner quietness. Universal Mantra Meditationhttp://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mantra.html

Hello Mariaann...Please understand that meditation alone cannot cure all of your physical ailments. However, if you continue to meditate for 5 to 15 minutes each day, along with a broader healing program of alternative and/or traditional medicine, the meditation will help to accelerate your healing process.

If your meditation produces a temporary increase in the pain, this is generally due to what is called a "healing crises," which means the meditation is starting to clear away some of the deep seated causes of your illness. Although this is a gradual process, it does indicate that the meditaton is helping to get things moving.

It is good to put aside the idea of meditating "right," and simply follow the basic guidelines of whatever method you use. For more complete instructions, I suggest you read the information on the following pages of the Online Meditation Center:FAQshttp://www.meditationcenter.com/info/faq.html8 Important Meditation Pointshttp://www.meditationcenter.com/info/8points.htmlMindfulness Meditationhttp://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mind.html

I started meditation a few months back and I found a lot of clarity in my mind. I was able to remove my headache, and I didn't get tired as usual. Then I didn't do meditaion for a month or so. Now I have tried to restart but during meditation( I follow the inner light technique) I find that my legs and arms feel uncomfortable, like its bound to something or like something heavy is hanging on it. I just feel like moveing them a bit. Should I do so? or continue meditation?

Also I would like to improve my concentration and memory power. Is inner light meditation effective in this regard? I choose inner light method cause I was able to find a little peace in the bits of light I saw when I closed my eyes. Sometimes these lights( I can't seem to pick up a particular colour) moves like its a stream and sometimes its like small and big spots.

Another incident once happened while meditation. I felt like I was being sucked into vaccum/darkness/nothingness. Finally I was in a place.. there were stars surrounding me everywhere. I was able to stay there for a few seconds then I was back to my normal meditation state. I tried going back again and was able to do so for a few seconds more, then I returned. The next day was bad. I woke up late, felt tired, depressed and such. What happened? was the inner toxins being removed? I haven't been able to go to that place after that.

I really like your site. I tried a lot of sites but this site is different somehow. Coming here just to re-read things itself helps me to relax somewhat.

Hello Vinlite...I'm happy to hear that you are finding the Online Meditation Center to be a helpful resource for your meditation practice.

There are several factors causing the heavy feeling in your arms and legs... a combination of relaxation, an increased flow of internal energy or "chi," and whatever degree of altered states may be occuring when you meditate. All of these are ok and natural, and if you feel like moving your arms and legs at any time during meditation, I suggest you go ahead and do so.

Yes, the Inner Light Meditation is very good for improving concentration and memory. This is because it increases the flow of energy and oxygen to the brain.

The "incident" you describe having experienced was very positive... a temporary opening of the doors of perception to a higher reality. These experiences tend to occur spontaneously during meditation to give you a "taste of possibilities." As you have discovered, it is rare to be able to re-create the same states through one's own efforts after the initial experience has passed. Best to simply take them as they come.

And yes, the more profound experiences sometimes do trigger the release of a good deal of inner toxins. Although this can be uncomfortable for awhile, it always passes, and then you are free of those particular toxins, which is very beneficial.

I have been meditating for about 5 years, the longest is about 35 min, my question is my friend and myself have seen this interesting Eye which approches us, now my friend sees it all the time and we've heard it's the eye of Sheva, btu what does that mean? and how come she see's often this eye but I can't anymore? thank you Oscar at plumbosca@yahoo.com or 949 933-1541

Hello Oscar...Shiva is a Hindu god with various roles, the most well known is that of "destroyer" or "transformer." That is, he destroys or transforms any outworn forms, including physical structures, life circumstances, or mental constructs such as the ego's illusions.

The "eye of Shiva" is the term used to denote his "third eye" or "eye of wisdom," located between the physical eyes at the 6th chakra. Unless you are devotees of Shiva - or have been intoning a Shiva mantra - it is not likely that you are literally seeing his eye.

Now figuratively the eye of Shiva represents the eye of wisdom that exists as part of everyone's 6th chakra. However, since the eye cannot see itself, unless you are seeing a symbolic image of it, we can rule that out as well.

What that leaves are these possibilities, and I say possibilities because no one outside of yourself can tell you for certain what you are perceiving.

1. It is the eye of one of your spiritual guides, just letting you know that he or she is "keeping an eye on you" (in a benevolent and caring way).

2. Someone you knew who is no longer in a physical body, and just wants to hang out while your perception is open to the astral plane.

3. Some other astral-based individual who is merely curious.

4. An image that has some symbolic meaning to you and your friend.

There may be other explanations -- when you are in an altered state the possibilities are limitless. When you or your friend see this eye again, I suggest you simply ask it what or who it is.

Why is your friend still seeing this when you are not? The principle here is that you get whatever you need from each meditation. If you are no longer seeing it, it is most likely time for you to move into other realms of experience and inner development.

I want to start by saying i really have no clue what im talking about but i am of absolute sincerity. I started "meditating" about 1 1/2 yrs ago..near gainesville (jim) haha umm Anna Maria Island it was called irrelevant but..ya. it was never a big thing just a nice way to relax and maybe have a cool dream..recently my life has abruptly gone terribly ?awry? idk if thats the word(no job, no education, very few friends i can still talk to however i am currently in the best state of mind i have ever experienced and yet it seems so familiar.. very... happy if you will.anyways my mother brought home a tai chi guide i dabbled and it seems as though i was absolutely meant for this kind of thing (meditation, spiritual things, or whatever) i can feeeel it.. you know..and its not only that but all things make absolute sense now..all the posters you see at school on the wall..amazing.."be yourself", willpower, mind over matter, you can be whatever you want to be,patience.. believing in yourself..etc...etcand also since i began the breathing techniques most practitioners describe (although im still new to it, this im finding to be my struggle point..as well as relaxing my upper back and chest and shoulders and neck..) i feel as though i have truely become who i was meant to become in a sense.. i feel very connected to all things i understand this is common but it is OVERWHELMING and very exciting it makes it hard to focus, although i seem to have an extreme focus...

like i said i dont know what im talking about but i speak with conviction please hear me

i guess my point is that i feel like this sounds terrible but i feel like a...god...eww i dont like saying it it makes me feel wrong but i can feel some kind of ultimate "power" inside me

another thing keeping me away from "enlightenment is my fears of death i dont know if im afraid of dying but more so that i dont want to leave this world behind...

i just reallly need to talk to a professional idk how you can contact me ill keep checking here but i guess myspace.com/embryonichydra

please give me some explanations

and ill say one more time im not a zen master... yet.. but i can feel it and i dont want to sound arrogant it is merely my true "emotion"

omg 1 last thing intention, suggestion, time, perception, will, influence...give me your thoughts...i feel like we all perceive everything in a very unique way yet unexplainable...like the blue i see would be seen as red in your perception or rather different frequencies of energy can be percieved in infinitely many different ways idk talk to me

-future zen master..

~~~~~im sorry i would like to "correct" a statement i made in my post...i do not view my self as a "god" but a healer or a super manipulator of energy..idk though these are merely my feelings i am expressing i can just feel this.. also i would like to say that i sense time as both a resistor as well as an instigator...i would like to chat with any professional that wishes to chat with me so please get a hold of memyspace.com/embryonichydrai will also frequently check here for a response thank you jim and congratulations on all of your success you truely are a healer..my mind wishes to envy you..but i am no longer susceptible to such feelingsyour site is wonderful

From your description, it would seem that you have indeed been propelled into an elevated state of consciousness. This may be permanent or temporary... either way, I suggest you enjoy this buoyant state of mind.

It sounds like you are aware of the need to avoid letting this heightened awareness set you off on a big ego trip, and that's very important.

Here are some suggestions that may assist you in becoming more firmly established in this elevated state:

1. Continue with a daily meditation practice. It doesn't have to be excessive... 20 minutes a day or so is enough.

2. Try to keep up with your mundane responsibilities. This is extremely valuable for grounding you and helping you to "anchor the light" of higher consciousness.

3. Continue with your tai chi. It's not just a coincidence that your mother got you this book. It will help you to better conduct the higher energies that are elevating your awareness.

4. Everyone has the power you spoke of within them. If you are feeling in touch with that power, make sure you use it wisely.

Perhaps someone reading this will contact you with their input. I suggest you be fairly discerning, regarding any advice people give you... that includes what I have said here as well.

Thank you jim.It pleases me that i was finally able to tell someone how i was feeling and i am glad you took the time to give me some advice..(anonymous)i dont know if you are aware of this but it came to me..lots of epiphanies have been exploding around inside me..!!I feel that i want to let myself enjoy infinite endurance through all things. Be happy to endure through all prejudice and pressure and pain and that we only perceive because we haven previously chosen to perceive and that you should not regret this descision rather enjoy it thouroughly but do not force yourself to enjoy it. enjoy life because you truly want to enjoy life love everything the way you love your relatives or the way clouds love the sky...

Hi i have been meditating for about a month now and im extremely fascinated and i just want to ask a couple questions...1st is there a simple explantion i can get of how i can let myself breathe i find myself slowly slowly barely breathing when i attempt this and it freaks me out should i forget this worry because i heard that even if you hold your breath you will just pass out and start breathing again2nd Can you over do it? (meditating)

I suggest you allow your breathing to be as natural as possible. If you are in a relaxed state as a result of your meditation, your breathing is likely to slow down automatically, because your system is using less oxygen. This is ok and safe no matter how slow your breathing becomes. Your body instinctually knows what it needs, and if it needs more oxygen, it will spontaneously breathe in as much as necessary.

Another thing to be aware of, is that sometimes beginning meditators will alter their breathing in some way - consciously or unconsciously - thinking it will help them to stay focussed. This is not really necessary.

Yes, you can over-meditate. Too much meditation tends to tap more inner spiritual energy than one can comfortably conduct... and also tends to trigger the release of more physical/emotional toxins than is comfortable. Even though this spiritual energy and the release of toxins are very positive, the whole process goes best when it is gentle and gradual.

I haven't seen those particular studies, but I have seen studies showing that during meditation the brain activity of Tibetan monks as well as lay practitioners indicated increased compassion and empathy.

However, if you are worried about this, I can assure you that you have no cause for concern. When you do reach that ultimate state of enlightenment - and you will at some point down the road because it is your destiny - you will be one happy camper.

For an in-depth look at meditation and brain activity, see this page:http://www.crystalinks.com/medbrain.html

First off, thank you for making the website. I first found it a few years ago and it's been a great resource ever since, even when my meditation habits can't stay consistent.

My question involves out of body experiences in meditation. It's not a goal I'm aiming for, it just feels like it's happened a couple of times recently and it's left me curious. Is it unsafe in any way to be interrupted or forcefully brought back to the body during an OBE?

Also, I have a little anecdote that I was hoping you could help me understand...

About three months ago, I was doing a meditation session laying down on my bed when I began to feel sleepy and let myself pass into the near-sleep state. This was my first encounter with OBEs in meditation, although I didn't realize it until after - while I "slept", I began feeling like I was floating as all of my senses left me. My consciousness remained, though, and once I became aware of the loss of my senses, I fell back into my body and woke up. Literally, it felt like my whole body had been floating three inches above the bed until my consciousness returned, at which point I crashed back onto the bed, bouncing against the springs and all. It was bizarre and, naturally since I'm curious to experience it again, it hasn't happened again.

Anyway, my questions relating to the story are, mainly, have you heard of anything like this happening and do you know what it could be? I'm very skeptic on the notion that I truly was levitating, but I also didn't think that the astral body could be a physical force, so it's a very bizarre situation to me.

Hi... I'm happy to hear that you are finding the Online Meditation Center so helpful.

When you are snapped back into your body, it's likely to be somewhat disorienting but not likely to be harmful. If it happens again, taking a bit of time to lay there and re-orient would be advisable.

Regarding your floating experience... yes, I've heard of this and have had similar experiences myself, although my landings are a bit softer. :-) Since this particular one was your experience and not mine, I can't say definitively whether or not your physical body was floating, but I can say it was quite likely one of these three possibilities:

1. You were out of your physical body (in your astral body) and landed with such force that it either did - or felt like it did - shake the bed a bit. Although astral bodies are composed of a much subtler energy than physical bodies, they are not totally "non-material."

2. You experienced a sudden rush of inner spiritual energy which elevated your entire being into a heightened vibration. This can feel like you are literally lighter and floating.

3. You actually were levitating. There have been documented cases of this, so it is a possibility.

hello jim,i just happened to be reading an answer you wrote back to someone and the subject of meditation and levitated came up. if im not mistaken you told him he was ACTUALLY levitating of the bed. is that correct? if so that isnt even meditation thats like paranormal stuff no? defying grafiti like that. but maybe i mis read what you told him please re explain to me what u meant. thx

What is the best way to meditate on one thing in particular? I would like to meditate on a feeling I get whenever I am in a certain type of natural landscape. I have been told it could be a memory from a past life experience and that I should meditate on it to see if it will become more clear.I have only been meditating for a short time and am not sure how to do this effectively.

Hello Eileen...I suggest you keep it simple... first invoking the feeling and then just focussing your attention on it, i.e. feeling it.

If it helps, imagine the landscape that evokes this feeling. You don't have to "see" it clearly... just easily imagine it and let the feeling come up. If simply imagining the place does not produce this feeling, then I suggest you go the actual place and just sit, be attentive to what you are feeling, and see where it takes you.

Hi jim,I'm 'x',now iam a student and now a days I'm feeling lost and I've no identity at my locality as well as in my collage and also i realised that i've no strengthfull character...Jim,please advice any meditation to make me a very attractive and dynamic character..i'm willing to do any kind of meditation...thanks...

Hello Sooraj...If you begin a daily meditation practice, it will gradually bring about many positive changes in your life. However, please understand that meditation will not fix everything. Will meditation make you a dynamic person? It will likely raise your vital energy level a bit, but if you are low key by nature, it probably will not alter your character and turn you into a human dynamo. Will it make you more attractive? Meditation will not alter your features, but people who meditate regularly do tend to have brighter energy fields - or auras - making them more "radiant."

If you wish to learn how to meditate, everything you'll need to get started is offered freely at the Online Meditation Center. Just go to the General Information Room -- http://www.meditationcenter.com/info/index.html --and the section on "Getting Started" will show you which information and methods to focus on to learn how to begin your meditation practice.

I am practicisng the "inner light" meditation and I would like to ask a question regarding this:

1, During the meditation I am gently looking at the inner screen behind my closed eyes. On this website, it is said that I have to focus on the light which appears on this inner screen. However, I find this dificult. For some reason, I can not "see" these light patterns clearly. In fact, I can not see their shape or position att all. Sometimes some larger and brighter lightpatterns appear, which I can sense more clearly, but these are very rare.

In fact, most of the time I just stare into the darkness, while I am aware that there are some light activity as well.

Is it all right, if I am only looking at these lightpatterns gently, without seeing their shape or position clearly? Or should I try to focus harder on them?

It's fine to look at the light gently -- actually better than concentrating or trying hard to focus. And if the light patterns disappear for a time, it's ok and effective to just look at the dark screen until the light returns.

In this meditation, the act of looking with "relaxed attention" at whatever is on your screen is more important than what you see or how clearly you see it.

HI.Jim.i have been meditating inconsistently because of timing.Recently sorting my mind to start to love myself first and let go of past events,hurt and pain.Can i mediate in the afternoon and before cause these timing are very quiet.thanks

hello jim,recently in my attempt to reach an obe or astral projection i found a site and purchased some beats from them. binaural beats. the first beat didnt work and the guy i got in contact with from the site sayd he guaranteed success and he sent me another beat called chakra i believe. i listened to about half of it so far but nothing really happened.although i felt a vibration in my feet like a tingling feeling but that was it. whats your opinion on my investment with the beats and do u think it was a good one?

Hello Burt...I haven't explored those particular CDs enough to give you an accurate assessment. However, if you were given a guarantee and, after giving it a fair shot, the CD does not deliver on its claims, then it would make good sense to return it for your refund.

hello jim,i hope all is well with u. anyways i wanted to ask if feeling a warmth to my face while meditating is ok. also when im trying to do the rope method, i dont know if ur familiar with it its a method in which u imagine urself pulling urself up on an imaginary rope up to the ceiling its a method to get out of ur body. i felt warmth and sometimes when im meditating or listening to chakras i feel it.

Yes, feeling warmth while meditating is ok. It's a positive and natural phenomenon caused by an increased flow of the inner life force, also known as chi. I'm not familiar with the rope method, but apparently that gets your chi moving as well.

Dear Jim,Today while I was meditating I suddenly felt this deep pain in my entire stomach and in a tiny part of my right collar bone. I found this odd, but tried to stay relaxed. Then, it became slightly more painful and my stomach area felt hot. I didn't pay much attention to it, but then the heat started going up my body and I started to feel my pulse all around my body, especially in my head. Then the pain and heat went away slowly. After I was done meditating, I felt refreshed and more relaxed then I usually do. What do you think it was?

Hello...What you experienced was a sudden increase of your inner spiritual energy. This energy also acts as a healing force, and has an innate intelligence which directs it to wherever it is needed in the body. Apparently your stomach and collar bone needed a bit of healing at that time.

When this force is working to heal an area and cleanse any toxic energy that may be present, it can sometimes trigger the sort of pain and heat you experienced.

Despite the temporary discomfort, this is a positive occurrence. So if you experience anything similar again, I suggest you deal with it the same way you did this time... just stay relaxed and let the energy do its healing work.

• hy i m rishi from india 23 yrs old...actuly when i was of 18 i was given a mantra by my "guru".he told me to use this mantra with the process of meditation...my problem is that since my age of 18 i m trying to do meditation and i aslo feel a deep desire to do meditation but somehow i leave the meditation after doing for a month or 45 days reasons are negative thoughts and a prime reason that i do satisfied with my curret meditation so make it more tougher for me for example if i m doin meditation for 1 hour daily after sometime from inside i feel that i should do meditation for 1.30 hour coz in 1 hour i cant achieve anything(these are my thoughts)...sir actuly for last 5 yrs i m trying to do meditation(i hope it shows how much i m involve with meditation)but somehow i m unable to keep it continue.....plz help me....waiting for your reply..thanx a lott:)

• sir can you pleae make a plan or goal sheet for me regarding meditation... this time i can sit atleast 30 min-1 hour...but yes i m lacking quality..sir actuly i m with a high thingking and i want to make something bigger regarding meditation so please make a plan forme keeping my high dreams in your mind..thnking you sir :)

• sir my last plan was "to do meditation for daily 1.30 min. regularly for next six months"but i broke with it coz i thought 1.30 hours would be insufficint to achieve my dreams...so to fulfill big dreams i need to do something bigger and in this way i lost my goal... i did stick to my goal just for 30 days.

Hello Rishi...With meditation, more is not necessarily better. For most people 1 hour is actually too much. One of the main reasons for this is that the longer your meditation sessions are, the more negative energy is cleared from your body/mind. This in itself is ok, but the problem is that when too much negative energy is being released too quickly, more negative thoughts - as well as various uncomfortable feelings - tend to come up along with it, and that is when most people back away from their meditation practice.

The whole "purification" process should go gently so that it is not so uncomfortable as to drive one away from meditating. You see?

I suggest you meditate for 20 minutes each morning. Then if you feel a strong need for more meditation, you can meditate for another 15 - 20 minutes in the afternoon or evening.

It is important to put aside the idea that you "can't achieve anything" with less meditation. In fact, it's best to put aside all of your expectations at the beginning of each session. I assure you that 20 minutes of daily meditation will produce many good results. Unless one's consciousness is extremely expanded, the profound changes taking place at the deeper levels of one's being generally go unnoticed.

If the dreams you speak of are realistic, meditation will help you to achieve them in time, assuming you take the necessary practical steps as well.

Thank you for your website. I recently have been experiencing feeling of anxiety and depression. I have noticed that little things make me anxious and worried. I have also been having problems falling asleep. I toss and turn and just can't shup my mind up. Can meditation help you sleep better? Would it be good for me to get up and start meditating? Thank you for your time.

Most people find that meditating helps them sleep better. I suggest you give it a try by either meditating for 10 - 15 minutes anytime of day... or just before you are ready to go to sleep at night. Either way can be helpful for getting a better night's sleep.

Mindfulness Meditation would be a good method to start with. You can find the steps and a guided video of this meditation here: http://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mind.html

sir firstly i wana say thanx a lot to you coz you replied me...thnx a lot.....sir as people make goals in business as to make a profit of 10 million or 15 million this year so that they could achieve new heights in their business similarly can i prepare a goal sheet for my meditation process coz realy i have commited my life to spirituality and my "guru"(he is no more now) has said that there is the stongest way to be with god is "meditation" and belive me i m dying to do it with my heart but i have been failure so far.....now i hope i have a found a guide as you are with me.....this time i do my "mantra" by sitting in a woolen clothe coz it saves our energy produced during the time of meditation and i count my mantra in the "mala of tulsi" as in hindu tradition most people does it.....so sir can i make my mind from now to spend 20-30 min.daily continue for 1 yrs to go nearer to god..or sir u make a goal for me specifying how many months need to be continued with meditation....sir i also visit vrindavan(shri krishna's birth placa)often and i feel peace in mind very much...i m a religious kind of person and yes in the absence of any guide i m not foused yet to my meditation upon which i wana base my life.and i think meditaion is my ultimate destiny.....sir thnx a lot for being so kind to me.

I can appreciate your desire to have your path systematically mapped out. But in reality, the cosmic intelligence and energy that will one day elevate you into the enlightened state do not pay much attention to human time-frames. When you have prepared yourself for your ultimate awakening, that higher intelligence will know and respond accordingly.

It is important to realize that if you are simply practicing your meditation every day, you cannot fail at it. It's best to put aside any ideas about being good at it or not, and regarding what you may think you are suppose to experience, and make a committment to just doing it for 20 - 30 minutes daily no matter what happens.

When you have gotten to where you are consistently keeping up with your daily meditation practice, feel free to contact me - either through this blog or at jmalloy@meditationcenter.com - and I'll be happy to give you a new practice to help accelerate your progress.

sir i must say that you are like an angle for me.for other people medidation or "dhyana"may be a part of daily routine but believe me i dont know why from very early of my age i was desperate to know about all these things and now i realize that god has given me this feeling.....sir actuly i come to hear very often that "dhyana or meditation" is just like your physical exercises means as u do exercise in zim similarly to improve ur meditation u need to do more n more exercise and this way u need to strech ur spirtual muscles.so sir generaly we spend 1-2 hours in zim for an attractive muscular body so sir can it be a sufficient time of 20 min in which we would be able to strech our spirtual muscles through meditation or dhyana.

Hello Rishi...There are reasons why more meditation does not necessarily add up to more spiritual progress, and why too much meditation can be counter-productive.

With physical exercise you can measure things like... so many reps will burn this many calories, and work the cardio this much, etc. However, with meditation it simply does not work that way. One hour of meditation does not equal a measurable amount of sanskaras eliminated, or a measurable degree of consciousness expansion.

But more importantly, meditation taps some very powerful spiritual energies which most people are not prepared to handle in large amounts. Thus, over-meditating - an hour a day or more for most individuals - can not only be counter-productive but can lead to various imbalances in the nervous system, chakra system and endocrine system.

With that said, if you truly feel that meditating for hours a day is right for you, and you think you have a strong enough system to handle it, then I would suggest you find a qualified and trustworthy spiritual teacher in your area who can guide you and closely monitor your progress to make sure you are not over-amping on these powerful spiritual energies.

I have personally found that a "balanced path" is healthier and more effective in the long run. A balanced path is not all meditation, but rather one in which an individual incorporates various spiritual practices that work in conjunction with meditation to accelerate progress.

As I mentioned previously, if you can demonstrate the ability to consistently keep up a daily meditation practice of 20 - 30 minutes then I will recommend some of these practices to add to your sadhana. Two months of daily meditation will demonstrate this sufficiently. When you have done this, feel free to contact me for further instruction.

thank you sir.....as you said i will follow the 20-30 min."dhyana" everyday for 2 months,then i will tell you how i experience....thanx a lot sir.....sir one more thing that my guru gave me one "mantra" and also gave a name of "shri krishan" and he said that that mantra and name both release 100 times more energy than any ordinary mantra or any other name of "shri krishna"..so sir as you said during "dhyana"we should focus on only one object or mantra..so sir can i use both "mantra" as well as "name" during my "dhyana" for exmple i do 10 min. dhyana with "mantra" and 10 min.dhyana with "name".is it right.....thnx sir for giving me your precious time.

• thank you sir....i will follow your advice and i will not bother you anymore by shooting more n more question :) but yes you helped me much and if in future i got a quality life through meditatation then i will remember you for your blessings and help you showerd upon me.....thanx a lot.

• sir one more question is that can i have a quality life by meditation?

I have been meditating for about 6 months. However I do not meditate every day. When I do, it usually lasts 30 minutes, sometimes an hour or so. Something that has happened to me lately was a deep intense shaking of my arms and back that lasted a very long time. I have some fears that don't allow me to sleep and am trying to pray to God as well for help and assurance. The issue I am having is ever since that time my hands are very cold. Do you know why this is happening to me or is this normal?

Hello Nat...Your meditation has triggered a sudden increase of the spiritual energy known as kundalini. When this energy is cranked up suddenly, it's rush through the body - and the subsequent release of blocked energies - can cause reactions like the shaking you experienced.

Although this is a powerful force and should be respected as such, it is not something to fear, as it is a natural aspect of the life force energy that runs through us all. Therefore, if you research it online, I would advise you to not believe everything you read about it.

None-the-less, it is best when this energy is flowing evenly rather than in sudden rushes. Meditating regularly for shorter periods is more conducive to this, whereas meditating sporadically for longer periods, such as you described, is more likely to bring about the kind of experience you had.

Regarding cold hands, a sudden increase in this energy can at times lower one's metabolism for awhile, which would account for this. However, I can't say for certain that that is the cause, as there can be other possible factors in your life which I am not aware of - mainly, whether you have had any previous circulatory problems, and whether you are - or ever have been - a smoker.

If these two other factors do not apply, then I suggest you simply get some sort of regular physical exercise to bring your metabolism up. If you - or members of your family - have a history of circulatory problems, and this does not subside within a few days and with a bit of exercise, then I suggest you get it checked by a medical professional, either a traditional doctor or an alternative practitioner like an acupuncturist.

Thank you for your help and advice on this site. My question is about having a song "stuck in your head" while meditating. It seems like whenever I focus inward, music starts going through my mind and it won't go away. I'm trying to focus on the breath but the music seems to keep playing "in the background." Just wondered if you had any tips for dealing with that.

Hi MK...This is a fairly common phenomenon. The best thing to do is to simply let the song be there while you keep focussing on your breath. If you try to fight it, the music is likely to become even more persistent.

It may be helpful to understand that you do not have to be 100% focussed on your breathing to get good results from your meditation. So it's ok to let the song play... then if at any time you find that the song has gotten your complete attention, gently shift it back to your breathing.

Now this is rare, but once in awhile the song playing in one's head may have some significant meaning for an individual. So, without giving it a lot of thought, you might do a quick mental check, just to see if the song of the day happens to have a specific message for you.

hello jim,i hope all is well but i had a question. last night i decided to meditate because i havent meditated in a while so i meditated and within i dont know around 5 minutes i felt a strong warm sensation in my legs and thighs. it came and went and came again and went. after a while i stoped meditating and it stopped. i was wondering do you know wat that was and is it a normal part of meditation? i dont think its hapened like that to me before.

Hello...Yes, sensations like this are a normal part of the meditation process. That doesn't mean that they occur all the time, but they are quite natural.

The warm sensations you experienced were caused by an increased flow of your inner life force energy, also known as "chi." This energy moves throughout the body, but if more of it was flowing to your legs, they must have needed a little extra shot of life force at that particular time.

It's nothing to be concerned about, and when it happens, it's best to simply stay with your meditation and accept it as an interesting and positive phenomenon.

Hi, I am practicing mantra meditation and I would like to ask a question.

During the exercise, I silently repeat the mantra in my mind.I usualy get into a light sleep state.

In the mantra meditation page, it is said that "staying focused on the mantra is not necessary and one can let his mind wander a bit"

However, I do the exercise a bit diferently.

I prefer staying focused on the mantra. I do it gently. I also let it become faint and repeat itself automaticly.

When I find myself begin to think about something, I stop it( I try to be as passive and gentle in this as possible). It goes like this: I drift of into other thoughts for a few seconds( I sometimes loose track of the mantra and other times not). When I notice this, I gently stop thinking these thoughts and continue repeating the mantra.

Is it allright if I do the execise this way or should I allow myself become immersed in other thoughts more?Thank you for answering

When I say that "staying focussed on the mantra is not the aim of this meditation," I don't mean to make no effort at all to focus... just a gentle effort so that the attention is allowed to dive inward.

Dear and loveing Jim Malloy (The Great).i am feeling very happy on your remarkable achievment in the field of Meditation.Please my dear Jim be continuous your contrebution to give the humanity peaceness and to human a peaceful mind.Muhammad waqqas

A few times while meditating I have felt a cool breeze come up over me. This even happened once on a desert mountain. Another experience I've had is a feeling around my head that is difficult to describe -- not really like electricity but a kind of "chinky chink" feeling. ha! not able to describe...sorry. Hopefully you can gives some insight on what these feelings are. Also, I have had times when the room I'm in seems all aglow with golden light. I feel like I get blessings at times and my eyes glow and I nearly feel intoxicated. Those times I feel so happy. Hope this isn't to jumbled for you -- I'm so excited to find someone who may actually be able to help me with some of my questions about these great experiences. Thank you so much. Sherry

Hello Sherry...The experiences you are describing indicate that you are attracting a very positive and uplifting "presence" when you meditate. This elevating presence can be experienced in many ways. However, feeling cool breezes and intoxicating joy from being in a room "aglow with golden light" would certainly qualify as two of these ways. When this occurs, you are indeed receiving many blessings.

You can consider this a "divine" or "conscious" presence if you like - if you are comfortable with that concept - and acknowledge and thank it at the end of your meditation. But it's not really necessary... only that you keep up your meditations and enjoy the experiences.

As for those "chinky chink" experiences..??.. the term doesn't ring a bell. :-) But if it does feel like an electrical energy around your head, that would be caused by an increased flow of spiritual energy to the area where your 6th and 7th chakras are located.

hello jim,how many months of meditating 30 minutues a day would u estimate that i would need to meditate untill i reach the no thought state. going off expirience and what uve seen others do and how fast it may have taken them to reach it.

Hello...From my experience with students, this can be anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of months. There are so many factors that determine what you will experience in each meditation, that it is really not possible to predict this. Of these factors, your personal efforts - beyond sitting regularly to meditate - count for very little.

When the deeper transcendent states occur, they are mainly the result of a positive force or energy beyond personal effort. This force cannot be controlled or coerced, but here are a few things that you can do to facilitate the experience of "no thought" in your meditation.

• Go into your meditation without any notion of what you want to experience.It's a bit of a paradox, but the less concerned you are with your experiences, the better the experiences tend to be.

• Be willing to let go of control. Trying to control your meditation tends to keep your attention on the surface of the mind. To go beyond thought, it is necessary to let go... to allow your attention to dive into the deeper states.

• The meditation you will find on this page is particularly effective for bringing about a state of inner silence. http://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mantra.htmlClosely following the instructions is important for this technique.

Thank you for answering my questions. It helps to have someone like you confirm my feelings on my experiences. I have been enjoying this site very much and am so pleased to have found it. There seems to be others who either intentionally or not mislead and do harm. Many blessings to you on your journey.

HiI AM AN AUSTRALIAN ARCHITECT WISHING TO DESIGN A LARGE (COMMERCIAL) MEDITATION CENTRE AND WISH TO KNOW WHAT SORT OF THINGS I SHOULD ALLOW IN MY DESIGN. I MIGHT ADD I HAVE BEEN MEDITATING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS SO HAVE SOME IDEAS. ARE THERE ANY GOOD REFERENCE BOOKS?-ALSO I INTEND TO SET UP THE MEDITATION CENTRE WITHIN A SCALED-DOWN GREAT PYRAMID!

Hello...Sounds like an interesting project. I imagine you are familiar with the principles of Feng Shui, but in case you didn't know, there is a Vedic version of this ancient art of design called "Vastu," which some say pre-dates, and gave rise to, Feng Shui. There are a number of books on this available at amazon.

Regarding books specifically for designing a meditation center, I am not aware of any. However, here a few things you might consider in your design if you haven't already thought of them...• Using colors that convey a high vibration as well as a tranquil feeling.• Austerity vs comfort. There are no rules stating that meditators must sit in the traditional positions... on cushions in lotus posture, etc. Unless someone is contracting you to design the center with definite specifications regarding this, the choice is yours to make it as comfortable or austere as you wish.• Including some sort of plant life as well as fountains to generate negative ions.

hello jim,i am trying to reach the no state zone and astal project and i know astral projection isnt ur area of expertise but i was wondering if u could help me. someone helping me reach this state has told me i basically have to me in the right mind set to accomplish any of this. he says doubts, fears, anger, stress, frustration, or even selfishness or lust can really affect my ability to project. and someone else told me i have to have "love" on my mind. my question to u is how do i get in this mind set. i dont know where to start. please your help is greatly appreciated.

There are two aspects of this... What you can do now, and what you can do over the long term.

For now, before you begin your out-of-body exercises, you can simply sit and meditate for awhile, allowing the meditation to lift you into a more positive frame of mind. If this does not feel sufficient, you might also focus on these positive qualities, imagining yourself embodying them in that moment. Then when you feel you are in a good space, you can proceed with your astral travel plans.

In the long term, we're talking about gradual and steady spiritual growth, resulting from daily meditation, as well as from processing - little by little - any negative issues that may come to the light of your awareness.

One of the main reasons it is recommended that you are in a positive frame of mind when astral traveling, is that the astral world - much like our physical world - has a wide variety of "neighborhoods," from very bright and pleasant to fairly seedy and murky. Because of the principle that "like attracts like" - that you gravitate to vibrations similar to yours - the more positive your state of mind, and thus your vibration, the more likely you will be to experience the more pleasant astral neighborhoods.

Dear Sir, I'm just a beginner in meditation.I'm not sure to what type of meditation i need to stick on?My intention for meditation is not for any problems but something different.I love my master(Guru) more than anything in this world.But he is not present physically in this world.His best advise to the world was to follow meditation or yoga.I came across a video of how to practice meditation in a you tube video.

Video Name - YouTube - 2 of 5. How to Meditate, Yoga, Meditation?

In that they said that we can meditate and get something called "Third Eye" through which we can talk to our masters.That's my aim too.I'm not sure how it's possible.But anyway my question is how many days will it take to get that third eye and how many minutes should i need to meditate daily and at what time should i do as a beginner?I know it needs a lot of effort and more dedication. I'm ready to cooperate.But i need your advice to be successful. Also i'm a little afraid bcoz they said "U will see various things like passing through a black dark tunnel etc. to get the third eye". Any Help?

Hello...The third eye is not something you "get," but is a part of you -- part of your spiritual anatomy. Your third eye is basically the eye of your spirit. This spiritual eye - aka the 6th chakra - is located at the spot between your eyebrows and extends back to the center of your head.

This visual faculty remains dormant throughout the early stages of our evolution, but as we become more spiritually evolved, this eye becomes active - capable of seeing energy and of seeing into the higher dimensions, which opens the door to clearer communication with these higher realities.

Although this activation takes place naturally and gradually as you evolve, there are meditations which can accelerate this process. However, you can't lock this activation process into a systematic, predictable timeline. Even though meditating will quicken the process, your spiritual eye will still open at a pace that is in tune with your own individual cycles.

There is no need to fear anything that you may see during this awakening process. But the process should be done gently - it should never be forced, as this could lead to problems.

There are different levels of meditation for activating your third eye. Here are the basic steps for the first level. This meditation can be done any time of day.

• Direct your attention to the spot on your brow just between your eyebrows.

• Imagine a brilliant white light at this spot.

• Gently focus your attention on the white light.

• Continue for 10 to 15 minutes, bringing your attention back whenever you notice it has drifted off.

When doing this, don't strain or try too hard to concentrate... just focus with "relaxed effort." When imagining the white light, you may see it clearly or vaguely... or just sense that it is there. However, you perceive it is all right.

During the execise, I often get into a light sleep state and I also drift of into my thoughts for a few seconds several times during the meditation. When this happens I simply bring my attention back to my 'inner screen'. I never fall asleep completely.

There are times when I do not get into this sleep state during the meditation. I have found that if I do not get into sleep state I often experience a deeper meditative state than those times when I do get into a light sleep state.

Yes, when you meditate, the possibilities are endless. And although some meditations are going to be more satisfying than others, it's best if you can put aside the tendency to analyze and compare them, and take each one as it comes. It sounds like your meditation practice is doing just fine.

I have been meditateing over a year usually mindfullness to help cope with brain cancer.before this i had a near death expierience,Meditation seems to draw supernatural experiences to me,glimpses of other realms,voices in unknown languages,whisperings next to my ear,orbs in photos,even objects tossed at me.In my youth i also meditated and once put out a candle with my mind.Doesnt meditation open us up to mthe spiritual realm?

Hello B. Yes, the practice of meditation can indeed open one to the spiritual realm. Some are more inclined to this type of experience than others. But ultimately, with continued practice, the spiritual benefits of meditation unfold for all who practice it regularly.

Hi Jim, I found your very useful site because I'm begining to meditate about 1 month ago, due to a friend of mine who practice.Making a long story short, I was very negative about life because of all that happened to me in the past.I'm 26 and 4 years ago I was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder.I was on medication but the medication didn't help at all.I was to the point of a Nervous break down, when i got hospitalized for that. After a couple of months, I quit taking my medication and started hating psichologists, because they could not hear what I was saying.Later this year, I found a former schoolmate that I haven't seen in 10 years. Back then, she always making fun at me. Then we started talking, when i felt completly amazed in how awesome she was now.We can both start a conversation without even speaking.Well, I told her my story since i felt school and things got really confortable about her. I can say anything without being hurted.I'm having some troubles in life like I always did, but, this time I felt inspired By Barack's Obama Election to the White House.I want to change who I am. Because I've always have some kind of a connection with the inner side.So, in a challenge from my friend who encouraged me to practice meditation, I've started researching about it.Found in the process, some people who can help me and understand me.My question is:My approach was to zen meditation, but, I can't meditate with my eyes open. It's difficult. So, meditation with eyes closed can me an illusion ? I thought i was doing it all wrong but your answers were quite clear to me.Thanks for the help, and continue the path you follow and let the peace reach from my heart to yours.

Hello Bruno...You are not likely to experience any more illusion - "makyo" in zen practice - with your eyes closed than with them open. Just remain a bit mindful that all experience is impermanent and has an underlying illusory quality to it.

hello jim,if i remember correctly i once asked you how to achieve no thought state and you sayd daily meditation will help do it, but how does that work. if i meditate for 20 minutes everyday, and say in those 20 minutes my thoughts are running and im not in no thought state, how does that eventually become no thought. you said if i remember correctly, "just showing up" will eventually induce no thought. how does that work? thanks. and by the way i hope all is well with you :)

Hello Burt...Experiencing a state beyond thoughts occurs when various factors converge, allowing youto slip into that state. These factors - such as the state of your nervous system, your state of mind, and various mind-body cycles - are not always present on any given day. So meditating daily increases your odds that you will be meditating on a day when these factors are present.

Also, this state is experienced more easily and frequently after you have eliminated manyof the physical/emotional toxins from your system through meditation. Therefore, the more regular you are with your meditation, the more toxins you will release, and so the more prepared and able you will be to experience states of no thought.

hello jim,i practice meditation every day in hopes of once expiriencing an out of body expirience. but every day when i practice i dont feel like im am improving. what is the point of continueing like this if i dont feel improvement. how does daily meditation work?

Basic meditation is not a practice for helping one leave the body. So unless you are doing a meditation exercise specifically designed for that, you are not likely to have an out of body experience.

There are two basic categories of "improvement" regarding meditation. 1. Improving the quality of your life and accelerating your spiritual growth... and 2. improvement in your meditation experiences.

Daily meditation "works" by opening you to an inpouring of spiritual light on a deep level of your being, and this light catalyzes growth and healing of body, mind and spirit. Much of the time, this influx of light is not apparent during meditation, which is why I put more emphasis on the 1st category - improved quality of life and spiritual growth.

1. Seeing improvement in your life would include: Getting less stressed by things... Feeling more calm and centered in life... Having more energy... Having greater focus and mental clarity... Experiencing increased awareness... Improved health... Gaining new insights and understanding of your life... Increased creativity... and many other things.

2. Seeing improvement during meditation may include: Feeing more relaxation when meditating... Feeling that meditation is becoming easier... Experiencing more frequent "moments" of inner peace... Experiencing longer periods of inner peace... Experiencing any type of positive feelings more frequently...

However, because everyone's experiences in meditation vary from day to day, I consider the most significant progress in this category to be improving your ability to totally accept whatever you are experiencing in each meditation.

Jim i have been meditating for a while now and it doesnt seem to work.I came across an artical that said "you will know you are meditating properly if you have a feeling of instant joy and peace".I do mantra meditation.What on earth am i doing wrong.I relax and dont force it and im not waiting for "anything to happen".I just cant get that feeling of peace or joy.Help please.

From your brief description, it does not sound like you are doing anything wrong in your meditation. However, it is not true that meditating "properly" produces instant peace and joy. These feelings will begin to occur gradually in meditation, but the length of time differs for everyone and cannot be calculated for anyone. If you continue going through the steps of your meditation with relaxed effort, little by little you will begin to experience short - or occasionally longer - periods of inner peace. Over time, this will begin to occur more frequently. But regardless of how long you have been meditating, your experiences will still vary from day to day. Feelings of inner joy tend to be a bit more elusive, but eventually these will begin to occur as well.

Hello Jim,I've read some comments regarding the meanings of color, if there is a meaning, while meditating and find it very interesting. I have been seeing colors while meditating for nearly two years. I see mostly purples and yellow-gold. For a while now I have been experiencing a bright white, goldish with what appears to be sparkling specs of other colors. I is a beautiful sight. Can you tell me what this may signify? I am grateful for the work you do. God Bless You.

Hello...Golden-white is a very high vibrational color. Seeing this in meditation would tend to signify that you are attuning to that higher dimension which is generally referred to as the "spiritual" or "causal" plane. This plane is very close in vibration to the pure consciousness of Spirit.

I have already asked you about third eye and type of meditation to follow for me as a beginner to realize the third eye. You said me not to take more strain.I started 2 weeks back as u said.Everything went astonishing to me. Whenever i started to close my eyes and tried to focus my point of concentration between my eye brows,maximum within 2 minutes i'm seeing my guru coming and speaking something or asking something to me.(For e.g., one day he came to me and asked me some place to show him for cooking) or some other persons coming and they are like almost dream.I am even wondering how can i get such things within 2 minutes.But during that time i could not realize my surroundings.Suddenly some thought comes to me saying concentrate.Again i could focus and again the same thing comes.Sometimes even my body shakes while seeing such things/persons and bringing me back to the surrounding world.

The difference is in dreams i could not remember the complete dream when i wake up.But once i open my eyes i could remember everything that i saw when my eyes were closed during meditation.It went for 1 week.After that i stopped meditation for past 1 week again.I'm not clear whether i'm sleeping or meditating.Whats my problem actually?Am i meditating correctly or am i rough or straining more?Why so many dreams/distractions coming within short time itself? Can i continue my meditation?I feel i want to meditate.

There is really no problem. Meditation experiences come in cycles. There are cycles in which there is much depth and clarity... and these deeper experiences trigger the clearing of physical-emotional toxins, which gives rise to cycles in which the experiences are not as clear.

After this clearing, new cycles of clarity can come around again, only they are likely to be different with each round.

During the clearing cycles, there is a tendency to back off from meditating. However, it is important to continue at those times in order to facilitate the detoxification process.

So if you continue, at some point - and there is no way to predict when - your meditations will become clear again.

hello sir....through meditation can we get god....i mean that ultimate goal of human soul is to be with eternity,and to be one with that almighty.....so can we be one with god through meditation.... actualy it seems next to impossible but can i have true love for god by meditation....i wana love god.... truely.

sir in your lecture named"staying connected" i read that try to be conected with your spirtual being....so sir i'm not a very busy person and i have at least 5-6 hours free from work.so sir in these free hours can i recite the name of "shri krishna",or it can be harmfull to recite "shri krishna"name for so long due to some" detoxination process...i mean for how long i can bead or recite "shri krishna"name except meditation process,is there any time limit..... sorry for taking your precious time....thnx a lot sir.

I would not suggest reapeating your mantra constantly for that long while you are just sitting with your eyes closed or even open. That would catalyze too much detoxification.

But if you are active in some way during those 5 or 6 hours - even just walking - it's ok, and beneficial, to repeat your mantra with relaxed effort when your mind is not fully engaged with another task.

It's a simple mudra to form... you place your thumb and index finger together, and let the other three fingers relax in an open position.

When meditating with your hands in this position, you can either fold them lightly, placing them in your lap... or you can rest one hand on each thigh, palm facing up.

Because the effect of mudras on consciousness and energy flow is subtle, it's best not to expect dramatic results. However, you may notice some subtle shifts in consciousness at times when your senses are heightened.

I noticed that whenver I medidate, my breathing becomes long and deep and there is a "gushing"sound from the back of my throat. Focusing on this somewhat noisy rhythm is very soothing; however I'm wondering if I'm focusing too much on the breathing during meditation.

I have only been meditating for last 1 month. Its been quite a while that I am able to remember or see any dream (may be years). But after starting to do meditation, I started seeing dreams. Is this my subconcious trying to communicate with me? or is it something else.

Hello Jahan...This could be your subconscious sending you messages, or it could be that your awareness is increasing as a result of the meditation... or both.

I suggest you examine your dreams when you wake up, to see if they contain any symbolism that may be meaningful to you. If they do, you will probably sense this intuitively.Then you can proceed to analyze the meaning of the symbols.

Yes, a stream of thoughts is generally part of the meditation process. If you simply try to turn off the flow of thoughts, you are bound to get frustrated and discouraged.

However, the various meditation techniques are designed to catalyze the experience of inner peace in various ways... sometimes through allowing the thoughts to subside spontaneously... and sometimes through shifting your attention to the quiet part of your awareness that exists beyond the thoughts.

• hello jim. i hope all is well with u and again i thank u for having this forum to ask u questions its very useful. anyways yesterday when i was meditating i felt weird sensations in my stomache and chest area. basically my torso and i dont know what it was. im wondering if it was the vibrations. i dint know what to do when it happened really and eventually the feeling went away. was that the vibrations i was feeling? thanks.

• hi jim. in my last message to u i forgot to mention at the time when i was feeling the weird feelings in my stomache and torso i was practicing breathing in and out from my stomache. after practing it for some time i started to feeling the wierd feelings in my stomache and chest. do you know if that was the vibrations i was feeling? thanks.

Hi Burt...The sensations you were feeling were most likely caused by an increased flow of vital energy - aka chi - to that area. There is a general principle that energy follows attention... So by breathing into that area you were essentially bringing the energy to it as well.

Along with feeling the energy moving in your stomach etc., it's likely that you were also feeling the release of some tensions or toxins being catalyzed by the increase of chi to the area. This is ok, so if it occurs again, I suggest you just be present with the sensations, allowing them to run their course.

I'm just learning how to meditate and I started by downloading the lessons on itunes. A couple of the guided meditations were so easy to do because I had experience the same conditions or experience before in my dreams. It was more like remembering than making it up. One of them was flying over the ocean. I have so many questions as to why that is. Also, there are times when (this is extreamly hard to describe) during the meditation I experience a profound sadness, longing, desolation coming from all around me when the meditation gets to the part of being part of all that surrounds me. In my mind, I open up to the light and purity of love and oneness with all but instead of love I feel something close to pain. I had this particular dream where I was walking on the snow and then I became the snow, I saw a tree and then then I became the tree and on that tree there was a bird and then I became the bird. I felt and saw as I never have before. I was everything all at once and the peace, joy and exhilaration was more real and thrilling than anything I ever experienced while awake. When I woke up, instead of being happy or shaking it off as a dream, I wept and felt like something precious had been taken away from me or denied. Experiences like those started me on this path of meditation and since there is no one I know that I can tell about it without them shipping me off to a mental institution (hahaha) I thought I would ask through these means. Do you have any comments or insights about what all this possibly means?thank-youLivingMeditation

Hello...In regards to experiences such as flying, when you are in an altered state, the possibilities are limitless... anything goes. Sometimes it may have symbolic meaning... sometimes not.

The rest of the experiences you've described indicate that you are extremely empathic. As an empath, you are tuning into the collective feelings in the atmosphere - both the painful and elevating feelings. This tendency can be difficult at times, but if that is how you are hardwired, then there is a higher purpose for why you have this ability. Certainly it leads to greater compassion, and perhaps someday you will use it positively in other ways as well.

Hello Jim, hope this finds you well.My question is about my health, I am having a hard time getting my blood pressure under control. It seems the medications they put me make me so sick it is impossible to stay on them.What I need is a meditation that I can use along with diet and exercise to help lower my blood pressure naturally.I am fairly new to meditation and don't really know how to go about doing this.Your help will be greatly appreciated.ThanksEileen

Hello Eileen...Most forms of meditation, if done daily for 10 - 20 minutes, will begin to lower your blood pressure. However, the two that have been used in the majority of studies and found successful are Mindfulness Meditation and Mantra Meditation.

You can find the steps to these here:Mindfulness Meditationhttp://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mind.htmlUniversal Mantra Meditationhttp://www.meditationcenter.com/connect/mantra.html

The feedback I have received from students who have measured their blood pressure just before and after meditating, is that it goes down significantly during, and for sometime after, meditating.Although it gradually rises again, with repetition of this daily process, it begins to come down on a more permanent and stable basis, to where they can begin weaning themselves from their medications.